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(No Model.)

L. E. CURTIS & E.' WESTON.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LEONARD E. CURTIS, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AND EDWARD VESTON, OF NEWARK, NEYV JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEf YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,148, dated March 21, 1882.

Application tiled November 11. 1831. (No model.)

To all ywhom lit may concern:

Be it knownv that we, LEONARD E. IURTIS and EDWARD \VESTON, residing respectively in the cities of NewYork, county and State of New York, and Newark, Essex county, New

Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamps, ot' which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and ro forming a part of the same.

In another application of even date hereunto we have shown and described an apparatus for use in combination with the feed regulating or controlling mechanism of electric lamps, for the purpose of releasing the carboncarrier from the influence of the said feed mechanism and allowingit to fall upon the opposed eleetrode when for any reason the are shall have been interrupted or unduly elonzo gated. By this incansthearc is rra-established without that del-ay which might. otherwise be fatal to the coils of ne wire which compose the shunt, and through which lies the only path for the current when the are is interrupted.

In an electric lamp wherein a clutch is cnr ployed in conjunction with a carbon-carrier having a smooth exterior surface the said carrier is entirely freed and allowed to fall instantly upon the occurrence o't'aii interruption inthe are. A releasing device similar to that above mentioned would then be uncalled for in clutch-lamps, were the merc interrulition of the arc the only accident likely to occur to the lamp. It happens, however, with these lamps, particularly so when they are run by a very powerful current, that the clutch at times fails to respond to an increase in the length of the arc, so that the carrier remains locked,

4o thus rendering possible the formation ofan arc of great length, that cndangers the lamp.

In the present case the invention consists in combining` with the clutch mechanism of an electric lamp auxiliary devices which are brought into action by any abnormal increase in thc resistance of the main circuitthat is to say, the circuit which includesthe carbon eicetrodes-and elt'ect the release of the carrier from its clamp or clutch, should the same stick or the feedmagnets fail to impart to it the 5o movement necessary for effecting the requisite feed. Said devices consist, in the main, of an electro-magnet in a shunt-circuit around the lamp, and an armature adapted to be actuated by the said magnet, andthereby tilt the clutch into a position where the carrier will be free to fall. These elements may be somewhat moditied in detail, however, certain otherssuch as a magnet in the main circuitbeing added for the attainment of a more certain action, or by dispensing entirely with the armature, as will more clearly appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Eigurel represents, in side elevation, the operative portionsotan electric lamp embodying our inven- 6 tion 5 Fig. 2, a similar view taken at right angles to the former, and Fig. 3 a moditied arrangement ot' the releasing-magnets.

The eharaeterof thclamp may be indelnitely varied. Theformshown,however,exemplifies 7o the invention, and is therefore given in illustration thereof.

A A representtheregulating-maguets, cach consisting in this case ot' a core attached to a magnetic cross-piece, a helix of coarse wire included in the main or arc circuit, and a rcversely-coiled helix ofhigh resistance,forming part of a shunt about the lamp.

I3 is an armature arranged in face of the poles of magnet A, and supported by the flat 8o springs C C.

D isa lever, connected with the armature by spring c, the tension ot which is regulated by an adjusting-screw, d.

E is atlatplate or bar, suspended at one end from the armature. PlateE is perforated and constitutes the clutch, the perforation being of such diameter thatit gripes and raises the carbon-carrier R when tilted. I is a dash-pot,

with a wire that forms a part ofa shuntof high resistance about the lamp. In face of said magnet is a pivoted bell-crank lever, one arm of which, H, is of soft iron, and serves as an armature. lhe other arm, F, is of iron or any desired material, and contains at its end a setscrew,f, the point of which bears on the base of the case containing the feed mechanism. It serves to determine the lowest position of the arm F. A spring, 7L, is employed to withdraw the armature H away from the poles of magnet G. The free end of plate E rests upon the arm F.

rlhe operation ofthe devices is as follows, assuming that the lamp is in operation: The armature Bis raised and the plate E tilted thereby, so that the carbon carrier R is held fast. Should the armature B now, from any cause, fail to lower in response to a lengthening of the are, the magnet G begins to increase in power by reason oftheincreased amount of current directed through its coils. As a result the armature H is drawn over when the attraction has reached a point at which it overcomes the adjusted tension of spring h, the arm F is raised, and the plate E brought into a horizontal position. Then this occurs the carrier R at once drops downward through the clutch, and the injurious results of an abnormally long arc are obviated.

As stated above, a magnet, 7L', the coils of which are in the arc-circuit, may be employed in lieu of the spring 7L.

We would also state that the bell-crank lever composed of the two arms H F may be modified in many ways, oreven dispensed with entirely, the end ofthe plate or clutch E being utilized as an armature, or provided with an armaturein case it be itself of non-magnetic metal.

Without confining ourselves therefore to the details herein shown,or attempting to illustrate more of the varicus waysin which the invention may be applied to different forms of lamp,

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In au electric lamp, the combination, with the feed-controlling magnets, of a carbon-carrier, a clamp or clutch, a closed shunt of high resistance, andan electro-magnet,independent of the feed-controlling magnets, included therein, and mechanism adapted to be operated by the said magnet, and thereby liberate the said carrier from the clutch, as set forth.

2. ln an electrielamp, the combination, with the feedcontrolling magnets, of a carboitcarrier, a clutch by means of which the carrier is controlled, a shunt-circuit ofhigh resistance, and a magnet, independent of thefeed-controlling magnets, included therein, by the action ot' which the clutch is caused to release the carrier, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electriclamp,the combination, with the feed-regulating mechanism and carboncarrier controlled thereby, of two electro-inagnets independent of the feed-regulating mechanism, one in the main circuit, the other in a shunt about the lamp, and mechanism controlled by the differential action of said inagnets for the purpose of releasing the carboncarrier from the control of the feed mechanism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

LEONARD E. CURTIS. EDVARD WESTON.

Vituesses as to L. E. Curtis:

RoB'r. M. Hoeren., DAVID T. S. FULLER.

litnesses as to Edward Weston PARKER W. PAGE, W. FnrsnY. 

